On September 1, Google officially ends support for the "noindex" directive within the robots.txt file.

You'll want to:

• Identify if your site is using the "noindex" in the "robots.txt" file.

• If it is, you'll want to switch over to another method to control crawling of specific webpages.

You most likely spend a lot of time doing all the right things to promote your website, but if you're receiving low or no quality traffic to your site, then your site statistics will be skewed – making it difficult to determine if your hard work is paying off.

Check out this tutorial on How to Block Sites that Contribute to Misrepresenting Website Statistics Using the Awstats Tool within Your Control Panel (CPanel).

September and October are chock full of holidays you can take advantage of and send marketing Emails to your subscribers, while incorporating key sales and/or offers for your products/services.

Holiday inspired Email templates are easy to use if your automated Email provider provides them. Just choose a template, enter information and images in the content blocks and voila! - done!!!

While nationally recognized holidays are the norm - maybe this year, send marketing Emails with themed templates for non-mainstream holidays. You'll surprise your readers, probably put a smile on their face – and inspire them to place orders on that day.

You can engage with your readers and have conversations across both Facebook and Instagram platforms from the Facebook integrated "Inbox".

Do you know how to respond to Instagram DMs (Direct Messages) while logged into your Facebook pages?
It's easy and can save you time managing both Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts.

Lead Magnets can be used on Social Media and on a website.

How creative are you in using Lead Magnets?

What are Lead Magnets?

A lead magnet is a marketing term for a free item or service that is given away for the purpose of gathering contact details. Marketers use lead magnets to create sales leads.

Email testing prior to sending your newsletter or campaign can most often be a life saver – especially if you find your open rates and subscriber list is dwindling. Testing tools can improve the quality of your Emails and impact the results you’re seeking.

Check out these free tools that can be used to complement automated Email platforms you currently use. (We recommend Constant Contact.)

Businesses can't take the "head in the sand" approach - you have to take the watchdog approach and remain proactive about what's going on in your industry, and what's being said about your Brand.

Which alert tools do you use?

You may find one here you can try out!

Online tools can help you track so many things … just set keywords, names and/or search phrases, then check the data. Helpful information includes:

• Mentions and Comments made about your Brand. Post a response as soon as you see posts, whether it be to ask an unsatisfied customer to contact you privately, or to say Thank You for the kind words.

• Competitor activity. If a competitor is running a Sale on a product you sell or a service you offer, you can jump in and run a better price or add-on a perk. Learn what others are saying about a competitor online.

Here are a few Listening and Monitoring tools Brands use to stay aware. When configuring alerts or reporting, include your business name, products/services you sell, competitor name, search keywords specific to your niche, etc.

Facebook announced (May, 2019) it’s rolled out a long tested feature for businesses to book appointments directly on Facebook and Instagram.

You’ll need to be a Page admin, editor or moderator to set this up to allow customers to schedule Appointments and Events with a “Book Now” button on your Facebook Business page.

Business Benefits include:

• It’s Free.

• Customer Convenience.

• Attract New Customers.

• Save Time, easy to manage with connected Business Calendar.

• Manage all appointments from your Facebook Business page

Email campaigns are all about delivering to readers a positive experience that deepens their connection to your Brand.

When is the last time you’ve studied your Email Open Rates and defined which campaigns were most successful?

If you’ve noticed your Open Rates have been declining or they’re hit and miss …

Many Brands using Twitter as part of their Social Media strategy to reach a larger target audience, experience a ripple effect that includes:

• Community Building.
• Generating new Leads and Sales.
• Expanded Customer Service.
• Increased Brand Recognition.
• More Traffic to Your Website.

If you’re already using Twitter as part of your marketing strategy, or are about to start - here's a few things to remember so you don't come across as the new kid on the block.